<p>Hello- I am in the summer of my Junior year in HS (I'll be a senior in 3 months) and am starting to look at being a recruited athlete for top LAC. I want a small liberal arts education without regards for athletics but the potential of being a DIII athlete adds to my desire. My SAT is in the 2200-2300 range and I have a good gpa etc. Academically swarthmore is fit/reach for me.</p>
<p>I want to do track at Swarthmore - it is one of my top 2 colleges. (+vassar). </p>
<p>My question is: When should I contact coaches? I'd much prefer being able to wait until after the Oct. SAT results (I had a track meet the night before the may sat and got 4 hours sleep/2020 score. But all my practice tests have been around 2250.) Because of this, I want to wait until later-but most of the athletes at my school that have been recruited D1 have already been recruited going into their senior year. </p>
<p>It seems weird with DIII as no scholarships are available and so the recruiting is a lot more laid-back.</p>
<p>I would recommend contacting the coach sooner rather than later because you never know what his timetable is. My D plays a team sport and is in the high school class of 2012. In her sport the recruiting class of 2012 is basically complete. (In other words, the number of players who have committed to apply ED is almost equal to the number of players the coach wishes to add.) Track may be different, if for no other reason than times and distances can be assessed without seeng the athlete in person. In other sports, the coach needs to get out and see the players, so the process starts earlier. </p>
<p>As for what information to send now, I will defer to others on this board who are more familiar with Swarthmore. Do you have a PSAT score you would want to mention? Do you have SAT subject tests? Either way, the coach will be able to advise you on what it will take for him to support you in admissions. Of course, you will also want to ask how much support he can offer.</p>
<p>Globular - it is a little late in the game right now, but you still have a chance. Track has a special benefit in that your performance is objective - timed. Send in your best times at an officiated meet (that were officially recorded) and tell the coach of your interest. The coach can then assess if you will be a contributor to Swat’s results and will work with you accordingly.</p>